Drawbar carrier



Sept. 20, 1932. H. E. VAN DORN DRAWBAR CARRIER Filed Feb. 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Sept. 20, 1932 Eran stares earner DFFICiE HERBERT E. VAN Donner oIIIcAao, rumors, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM VAN DORN, l 4

' or PASADENA, CALIFORNIA ncaAwnAn GARRIER Application filed February 8, 1928. Serial No. 252,768.

The present invention relates to means for supporting the front end of a drawbar for railway cars, so as normally to hold the coupler head at a predetermined height above the rails, while permitting the coupler head to be depressed, when necessary; and it has for its object to produce a simple and novel construction of this kind, that will be efficient in operation and which shall be easy to assemble or take apart.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a carrier embodying my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are re spectively a front view and a side view of the carrier; Fig. 4 is a section on a larger scale,

taken approximately on line 44 of Fig. 2;

and Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Inthe drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to a carrier for a laterally swinging drawbar and, forthe sake of brevity, the detailed description will be confined to this form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a horizontal plate, arc-shaped in plan and having along its curved edges upwardly projecting ledges 2, 2 flanged inwardly at the top,

as indicated at 3, 3; the ledges and flanges forming with the plate the usual recess for receiving the segment bar fixed to the underside of a railway car near the end of the latter; At the ends of'the plate 1 are depending hollow legs 4 spaced apart far enough to receive a' drawbar between them. The chambers in the legs are open at the bottom, and are closed at the top by the end portions of the top plate.

Cooperating with the member 1 is a lower cross-piece 5 adapted to extend between the legs and form the direct support for the drawbar. In order that the drawbar may be swung down from its normal level, it is necessary that the supporting'cross-piece 5 be spring-supported. Compression springs are will not sag down under the mere weight of the drawbar. In accordance with my invention I form the suspending means and the cross-piece as a single unit that may be applied to or removed bodily from the upper member. Therefore the springs, with their associated parts, may be assembled on-the cross-piece and the compression of the springs adjusted while the two units of the carrier are separated from each other; the final assembly being efiected by simply inserting the spring devices in the legs of the upper unit and inserting a few bolts. I

In the arrangement shown, the cross-piece has at each end an upwardly projecting sleeve 6 that will be coaxial with the corre-- sponding hollow leg of the upper unit when the two units are assembled. Surrounding this sleeve is a follower 7 resting on the crosspiece and having a long upward tubular extension 8. On the follower and surrounding the tubular portion 8 is a spring 9 above which is a second follower 10. A longxbolt 11 extends down through the follower 10, through the sleeve-like part 6 and through the underlying portion of the cross-piece. On the lower end of the bolt is a nut 12. It will be seen'that by tightening. the not the spring may be placed under any desired tension; 7

After the elements of, the lower unit have been assembled, the spring devices are pushed up into the hollow legs of. the upper unit,

and then a few horizontal bolts are inserted in the lower ends of the hollow legs'underneath the margins of the lower followers. In the arrangement shown, there'are two of these bols, 13, on each side of the device, the two bolts on each side extending from front to rear beneath 'oppositemarginal portions of the corresponding lower follower. The parts are so proportioned that'the upper follower on each sideengages with the underside of the top plate when the assembly is complete, although this is not essential.

Itwill be seen that the lower cross piece may be pressed down from its normal position illustrated in the drawings, until the top follower plates come in contact with the upper end of the tubular extensions 8 of the lower followers; thus permitting a drawbar to be swung down a considerable distance from its normal position. During such downward movements and the succeeding upward movements the tubular members 8 serve as guides for the sleeves 6 on the cross piece, so that there will be no binding action during such movements. I

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come with in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. 7

I claim 1. A drawbar carrier comprising a top member having at the sides depending that arevhollow and open at the bottom, a bottom cross-piece having a bolt extending upwardly at each end into the corresponding hollow leg of the top member, a spring surrounding each bolt above the cross-p'iece, a

follower at the top of each spring secured to the corresponding bolt, a second fol-lower below each spring and above the cross-piece and bolts extending through said legs and supporting the lower followers.

2. A drawbar carrier composed of a top member having at the ends hollow legs open at the bottom, a lower cross-piece, a spring device including a spring and upper and lower followers above each end of the cross-piece.

a bolt extending from the upper follower of each spring device secured to the cross-piece, each spring device being positioned in the corresponding hollow leg of the top member, and bolts passing transversely through the lower end of each leg and forming supports on which the lower followers rest.

3.1A drawbar carrier composed of a top member having at the ends hollow legs open at the bottom, a lower cross-piece, a spring device including a spring and upper and lower followers above each end of the crosspiece, a bolt extending from the upper follower of each spring device'being loosely through the cross-piece, each spring device being positioned in the corresponding hollow .leg of the top member, bolts passing transversely through the lower end of each leg and forming supports on which the lower followers rest, and each lower follower and the underlying portion of the cross-piece being provided with long tubular guide members telescoped upon each other.

4. A drawbar carrier composed of two units the upper of which is adapted to be supported from a car, the second unit comprising a crosspiece, spring devices above and in engagement with the ends of the crosspiece, bolts extend- 7 ing down through the spring devices and the cross-piece to hold them together, there being spaces underneath the spring devices between said devices and the cross-piece, and detachableelements on the upper unit extending into 6. A drawbar carrler comprising a top member having atthe sides depending legs that are hollow and open at the bottom, a bottom member in the form of a cross-piece, a spring above each end of the cross-piece and housed within the corresponding leg of the top member, a follower under each spring resting on the cross-piece, a bolt extending down through each spring and the underlying follower and cross-piece, the followers and the cross-piece being shaped to provide spaces between the followers and the crosspiece, and bolts passing transversely through said legs and through said spaces to form supports for the followers.

7. A drawbar carrier composed of a top member having at the ends hollow legs open at the bottom, a lower cross-piece, a spring device including a spring-and upper and lower followers above each end of the cross-piece, the lower followers resting on the cross-piece, a bolt extending down from the upper follower of each spring device through the same and securing it to the cross-piece, each spring device being positioned in the corresponding hollow leg of the top member, and bolts passing transversely through the lower end of each leg and forming supports on which the lower followers rest. r g

8. A drawbar carrier comprising a top member having at the sides depending legs that are hollow and open at the bottom, a bottom cross-piece below and spanning the space between said legs, a-spring device above bottom cross-piece below and spanningthe' space between said legs, a spring device'above each end of the cross-piece and extending into the corresponding leg, bolts passing transversely through the lower ends of the legs and forming supports on which spring devices rest, a bolt extending upwardly through each end of said cross-piece and the vcorresponding spring device, each bolt having thereon a nut element and a head element one of which elements engages with the upper end of the spring device and the other of which engages with the under side of the cross-piece.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

HERBERTE. VAN DORN. 

